Off-Topic: Clear Your Google Search History

This is TOTALLY off-topic to EQ2 and SOE, but I feel it is worth breaking protocol to do a short article.

Today is the last day to clear your Google Search History. In case you aren’t aware, every time you have searched Google over the last few years while an active cookie has been running for Youtube, Gmail, or another Google service, your search terms have been kept, including the keywords, date and time you searched, going back years.

Washington Post / Bloomberg | Choosing What You Share with Google | MSNBC

Some people have been alarmed to note that Google is now linking together all of their services and their collected data from everyone into a single service. I know I was shocked to find search results in Google Images from people I haven’t talked to in years or told Google I’m friends with. It showed me “other people you’re friends with also searched for these items”. I mean WTF?

Google have collected a tremendous amount of information about us over the years and now they’re putting it all together. Remember Google’s original motto “Don’t be evil“? I’ve switched to an anonymous alternative to Google searches. It’s less convenient, but it’s completely anonymous.

This is not an internet hoax. Feel free to search Snopes (but not with Google 😉 ).

I’d rather not do this, but to avoid a page full of people whining because I’m doing a post not about EQ2/SOE, to avoid the politics, conspiracy theories, liberal vs. conservative, and whatever else, I’m going to disallow comments on this article. If you have an opinion that you feel would be a benefit to the community, e-mail me and I’ll see about posting it.